- Claude AI app is the No. 1 app on the US App Store after Anthropic refused Pentagon demands to remove safety guardrails.
- The US defense officials sought to use Claude AI for domestic mass surveillance and autonomous weapon systems.
- Meanwhile, OpenAI, the ChatGPT maker has signed a deal with the DoD, which has triggered "Cancel ChatGPT" backlash.
Anthropic’s Claude AI has climbed to the top spot on Apple’s US App Store, overtaking OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. This surge in downloads came after Anthropic refused the US Department of War to remove certain safety guardrails from Claude AI. According to reports, defense officials wanted to use Claude AI for mass domestic surveillance of Americans and in fully autonomous weapons systems without human oversight.
Anthropic: ‘We Cannot in Good Conscience Accede to Their Request’
In a blog post, Anthropic wrote, “in a narrow set of cases, we believe AI can undermine, rather than defend, democratic values“. Over the threat that Anthropic could be designated a “supply-chain risk” or face action under the Defense Production Act, the company added, “these threats do not change our position: we cannot in good conscience accede to their request“.
Anthropic maintains that current AI technology is not reliable enough to safely operate in extreme high-stakes situations. Following the public standoff, President Trump directed all federal agencies to “immediately cease” use of Anthropic’s technology and called Anthropic a “radical left” company.
Amid the fallout, OpenAI, the ChatGPT maker, signed an agreement with the US Department of War to deploy its AI models for classified work, and to replace Anthropic. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on X, “Tonight, we reached an agreement with the Department of War to deploy our models in their classified network“.
OpenAI mentioned that its contract prohibits domestic mass surveillance and use of its technology for autonomous weapon systems. However, some critics argue that there are no caveats. The language is much broader and references to “unconstrained monitoring” and “for all lawful purposes” indicate that there is room for interpretation.
OpenAI is now facing backlash over its contract with the DoD and “Cancel ChatGPT” is trending all over the internet as users are looking for a capable ChatGPT alternative. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s Claude AI now ranks as the No. 1 app under the Free category of Productivity apps. According to an estimate, Anthropic recorded 503,424 downloads on February 28, which was its largest single day installs in history.
